Leukemia Patient Nearly Dies; Twin Has Idea to Save Thousands

March 1, 2012— -- For nearly 18 years Graham and Britton Douglas believed they were fraternal twins. That was until Britton needed a bone-marrow transplant because chemotherapy for his leukemia had failed.

The Fort Worth, Texas, brothers learned that they were identical twins, sharing the same DNA, and therefore Britton could not receive his brother's bone marrow because their genetic make-up was too similar to fight the cancer.

Today, at 27, Britton Douglas is a healthy, successful Dallas lawyer, thanks to a bone marrow donation by a stranger.

But his twin brother, knowing that he nearly lost his only sibling, has been obsessed for nearly a decade with finding better ways to get more Americans to become donors.

"It's indescribable how much I love my brother," said Graham. "I don't know what I would do without him."

Graham's concept was so simple and yet could save the lives of tens of thousands of Americans with leukemia who are waiting for a bone-marrow transplant: packing a swab kit inside a box of bandage strips.

A senior creative at the New York City advertising agency Droga 5, he found his inspiration last year while teaching a portfolio class at a commercial arts school.

Year after year, he has challenged his students to find a creative solution to attract more donors. Two students he refers to as the "Spanish team" -- Alfredo and Alberto -- came up with the "germ" of an idea last year, and it has now hit the market.

The consumer healthcare company Help Remedies partnered with Graham and the world's largest bone marrow donor center, DKMS, to release the new product -- "help I've cut myself & I want to save a life." The cost is $4.

Before applying a bandage strip to a minor cut, consumers can swab their blood and then send the sample in a self-addressed, stamped envelope, along with their age and email address, to DKMS.

The donor center will then follow up to get more information on how the consumer can become a donor. All potential donors are anonymous and there is no obligation to donate bone marrow, even if a match is found.

The three-year-old start-up Help Remedies is known for its minimalist packaging and unusual product names. For now, the over-the-counter marrow registry kit is only available on its website.

"Like any over-confident ad guy, I saw a problem and wanted to fix it," Graham said. "Maybe I am naive, but finding a bone-marrow match should be as easy as a blood match."

From Idea to Reality in Just 3 Months

After fleshing out the idea for the kit, Douglas said he "blindly" started sending it out to large and small companies. He heard back from Help Remedies that same day.

"A lot of people pitch us with ideas that are pretty boring or we've seen it before," said company co-founder and CEO Richard Fine. "But this was such a simple, nice, smart idea and we pride ourselves to make healthcare simpler and friendlier."

The product has a "dual benefit and it helps people," Fine said. The design was taken from its concept to the marketplace in little more than three months.

The Need

More than 10,000 Americans are on a waiting list for bone marrow transplants -- the treatment of last resort for blood cancers like leukemia -- and only 6 in 10 will ever get the treatment they need to save their lives.

Only 30 percent of all patients will find a match within their family; the other 70 percent rely on strangers to give them a second chance at life, according to DKMS.

Blood cancer is only second to lung cancer as the leading cause of all cancer deaths in the United States, killing more children than any other disease.

"It could make a difference," said Britton. "A few drops of blood and you send it in -- that's incredible to me. It's just sitting in your medicine cabinet."

One of the Lucky Ones

Britton Douglas was diagnosed in the summer of 2002, just weeks before the twins were to begin classes at the University of North Texas. "Ten years ago, I didn't think I would be around today," he said.

"It all happened really fast," he said. "I went to the doctor with stomach ache and thought it was a virus. Thankfully, the doctor did a blood sample."

Test results showed a high level of white blood cells and Britton was sent straight to the emergency room and diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of the disease in children, according to the National Cancer Institute.